She looked at the man anxiously and waited for him to initiate the conversation. She didn't dare to speak first to the person on whom her own life might depend. So she sat in silence, while the Sect Elder stared at her intently, as if trying to understand something.

  The silence was broken after a while. He finally spoke, but it did not make her breathe a sigh of relief, quite the contrary. The atmosphere only became more tense.

  “So what's going on with you? What are you hiding?” he asked in his heavy voice. May felt helpless.

  She had no idea what he was referring to. May was hiding many things, and worst of all, she didn't know which one he was talking about.

  She didn't know how to respond. However, remaining completely silent would not be a good choice either.

  “What exactly are you referring to, Elder?” she asked, pretending not to understand the situation. She was in a child's body, after all, so it wasn't unfathomable that she didn't understand the question.

  “So you like to pretend to be dumber than you actually are,” he snorted wearily. “You’re clearly suspicious. From the moment I saw you, I knew there was something wrong with you.”

  Her heart sank with fear. The sect elders were truly on a completely different level. However, she did not let herself be tricked and continued to pretend to be an innocent and unaware little girl. She put all her eggs in one basket, even though she knew she was in a losing position.

  “I really don't know what you're talking about, Elder.” she replied, continuing to deny everything.

  Once again, silence fell. The tension was immense.

  “You see, I'm pretty good at reading people. And in your eyes, I see an extraordinary sparkle that doesn't match your age. You're much smarter than you're trying to pretend to be.” he said after a moment, breaking the awkward silence.

  May was a full-grown woman with a college degree. She had earned her doctorate. However, no one had paid any attention to this until now. She was good at hiding her inner wisdom, while pretending to be a small and silly child came quite naturally to her. Perhaps she sometimes spoke too eloquently for her age, but most people considered it natural that someone so talented in cultivation would also be a genius in other fields.

  But after just one encounter, he noticed that something was wrong with me? If he is an Elder, he must be at the Golden Core level. He really is on another level. But that's okay too. My ‘hidden’ intelligence is probably my very least important secret.

  “Elder, I apologize for my behavior. Elder is completely right. I am much more intelligent than I might usually appear to be,” she said. Although it sounded arrogant, it was essentially true.

  “Hmph. That’s not your only secret,” he replied after a moment.

  May froze again. After a moment, he spoke to her again.

  “But I'm not going to delve into that. Anyway, tell me, why are you pretending to be stupider than you are?”

  I can't tell the truth. Admitting to reincarnation is foolish. I will never, ever reveal this to anyone. But I can't lie either. A person at this level surely has a way of seeing through my lies. I have to give an evasive answer, but one that is still true.

  “Being smarter and more intelligent than others is not always a good thing,” she replied after a moment, hoping to get away with using metaphors and generalities.

  “What do you mean?” he asked, leaning back in his chair.

  “I... I think... Well, unless...”

  “What are you trying to say? Speak in full sentences if you’re already started. Because I’m beginning to question your presumed intelligence.”

  May blushed slightly with embarrassment, but continued speaking after thinking about what she wanted to say.

  “I've always stood out from the others, I was different.” She didn't tell a single lie, but it had nothing to do with the discussed topic.

  “Different? You mean talented.” May felt a slight relief inside that the man had taken the bait.

  “Talent can be risky. I never had anyone, I didn't want to get close to anyone because I never knew if they wanted to get to know me just because of my potential or if they really wanted to get to know me.”

  The man grabbed his chin with his hand.

  “You've been blessed, but you treat it like a curse. How foolish.”

  “I know I'm lucky. But sometimes I also want a quiet life.” Since coming into this world, she had trained like crazy day and night. And she was just a child. “I'm just a little tired.”

  “Hmm, you're not lying. You are indeed not only talented, but also hardworking. People like you are destined for great things,” he said, smiling slightly. “Your character isn't so bad. I think I'm beginning to understand, Deceased Leader.”

  “Deceased Leader…”

  So that's what it was all about. She needs my skills, so she must have sent him.

  “I can see from your expression that you've already figured it out. I don't know what your relationship is, but I'm here because of her,” he said. “Normally, there would be no reason for the High Elder to deal with such marginal matters.”

  May felt strange when he described the attack on the academy as insignificant. After all, people had died, including children, but he didn't seem particularly concerned about it.

  “She...”

  “No ‘she’. When a person of your status refers to her, you are to address her with the appropriate title, Sect Leader, or not at all.”

  May thought it was strange that he should address her as Sect Leader, since she hadn't been one for a long time.

  But maybe it works the same way as on Earth? Former presidents are still referred to as “president” even if they are no longer in office, so maybe it works the same way here? Actually, her status in the sect is quite strange. Most people don't even know she exists. Anyway, it doesn't matter, it's not my problem.

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  “The Sect Leader needs something I have.” she replied, still thinking about the title. Being called that was quite confusing, as it was unclear which leader was being referred to, since two people had the same title.

  Perhaps “ Late Sect Leader” would be a better title?

  “You have something she wants? What is it?” he asked, hiding his curiosity.

  “I promised the Sect Leader I wouldn’t reveal it.”

  “So be it, I won't pressure you,” he said, getting up from his chair. “It's time to get to the real point of this conversation.”

  May looked at him as he stood up. He was huge, probably two meters tall, a real giant.

  “But before that... I have to test you,” he said in a serious tone of voice.

  “Test me?” she asked.

  “Yes. Test you,” he said, looking at her. “And we'll do it in a fight.”

  May was surprised by his words, not expecting such a turn of events. She knew she was weaker than him, much weaker, so why did they have to fight? One glance should be enough for him to know how strong she was.

  “Elder, if I may ask, what is the reason for this test?”

  “Leader Lin Yun was extremely concerned about the attack on the academy and your fate. She ordered you to be brought to the Inner Court for your safety.”

  May let out a shocked sound. Lin Yun must have really cared about her child's exorcism if she went this far.

  “Hmph. Don't misunderstand, going to the Inner Court is not the same as joining it.”

  That made sense. Lin Yun only wanted her to live in the Inner Court because, as the capital and main center of the sect, it was a much safer place than the outskirts where she currently lived.

  But if it's just about living there, why does he want to test me? What's the point?

  She decided to ask anyway.

  “Elder, forgive me if my question is inappropriate, but if I'm just going to live there, why test me at all?” She asked uncertainly, hoping that her question would not anger him.

  Fortunately, however, he did not seem bothered by her questions and replied in a calm voice.

  “I'm not asking you if you're going to the Inner Court. I'm just taking you there. And my test is a completely different matter, unrelated to that,” he replied, frowning. “Leader Lin Yun had a few requests, but I also had my own conditions.”

  Life in the Inner Court isn't a bad thing. It's actually a good thing, as the academy probably won't be back to full operation anytime soon anyway.

  “Are you done with your questions? If so, get up.” he ordered.

  May obediently stood up, not wanting to provoke his anger.

  She knew that this would not be a real fight, but only a test of her skills. She already had some suspicions about the whole situation, but for now she decided to wait.

  “What weapon do you use? Also, tell me the name of your martial art.”

  “A spear, Elder. My martial art is called [Water Knight Art].”

  “A spear... An uncommon choice. Water Knight Art? The technique of the Bei Clan. It's not very good, you'll have to give it up in the future.”

  She knew that her martial art didn't have a good reputation, but she didn't expect it to be that bad.

  “But enough talking. First, use all your strength and attack me,” he said. “What are you waiting for?”

  May had no choice but to take action. According to the system, her martial arts skill was already at 39% Beginner level. It wasn't very impressive in itself, but considering the difficulty of martial arts, it was quite of a feat.

  [Water Art Knight] focused primarily on adapting to the opponent. Unfortunately, the man in front of her did not seem to have any weak points. At least those she could see.

  She sighed helplessly and accepted the fact that the goal was not to win, but simply to show off her skills. However, she didn't know where to start. Every potential move seemed like a mistake.

  Seeing that the man was getting irritated by the wait, she decided not to worry about it and attack as best she could.

  She ran up and jumped closer, trying to punch him in the lower part of his body. Before she knew it, however, the man changed his position in an instant, and May fell to the ground and landed on her side.

  She felt pain and a throbbing sensation in her leg, but this was no time to worry about pain, and she quickly got up, not wanting to show her weakness.

  “Quite slow in movement, but you react quickly,” he commented.

  She didn't

  respond to his remark. Speed had always been her weak point. In this fight, it didn't matter anyway. She didn't rush into another attack; she had to think it through better.

  “If you don't attack, I will,” he said to her, irritated by her lack of response.

  Not wanting him to start attacking her, she had to go on the offensive again, even though she hadn't fully thought through what she wanted to do.This time, she couldn't fall to the ground again. She wanted to aim for his head, but he was too tall and she couldn't reach him.

  However, he won't expect me to jump so high.

  She ran up, bent her knees, and jumped from above. She had enormous strength, which allowed her to rise high into the air for a moment. The man did indeed seem slightly surprised by this. After a moment, however, he grabbed her fist as it flew toward his head.

  He was currently holding her in the air by her fist. May tried to wriggle free, but his grip was too strong. So she hung there in the air, humiliated.

  “What was that supposed to be? A jump? I'm starting to think I'm in a circus. [Water Knight Art] is really useless. A collection of random moves. An unfunny joke.”

  He swung his arm and threw her far away from him with momentum. She hit the ground again with great force. She began to feel dizzy from the impact. The fall rubbed her hand raw, and blood poured out.

  “But you've mastered this nonsense quite well. If you start training in real martial arts, you might become something.”

  May didn't feel like listening to him; she was angry and felt like a pushover. In a fit of rage, she tore her shirt and tied the rag around her arm to stop the bleeding. The man just watched with curiosity.

  “Are you done? Then keep attacking,” he said to her. “This time I want to see your strength, so I'll stand still. Hit me as hard as you can.”

  I'll make sure you feel it.

  Although she didn't quite believe her own words, she intended to put everything she had into that one blow. Her strength stat was 17. It had to hurt. Especially now, as she felt adrenaline coursing through her body, she felt like she had reached her physical limit. In addition, she used Qi Control to cover her fist with a thin layer of Qi.

  The man waited calmly. May moved closer and took her stance. She swung with all her strength and hit him in the stomach. A squeal of pain.

  Not the man's, but hers. His stomach was hard as steel. If she hadn't covered her hand with Qi energy, she would probably have broken her fingers.

  “Your strength is surprising, enormous. Above your level, I rarely admit it, but I'm impressed,” he said, nodding. “That's enough. Sit down.”

  She didn't feel like sitting down. She wanted to beat him up, but having no choice, she sat down.

  “I already have a rough idea of your level. Getting back to the conversation, you have two options... Actually, three.”

  “Options?”

  “Yes. The leader ordered me to bring you here and accept you as my student.”

  May turned pale in shock. Yun Lin wanted this man to be her master?! He was one of the strongest people in the entire sect!

  The master-disciple relationship was not ordinary. It was sacred. Not much inferior to blood ties. The master provided guidance and complete care, and in return, the disciple had to offer their complete loyalty.

  “I didn't agree to it,” he said after a moment.

  Oh. Did I get my hopes up for nothing? Well, it's not surprising.

  “I don't take on disciples very often. That's why I didn't think some little girl from Eastern Court would be worth my attention,” he said. “However, she said that once I tested you, I would see for myself. I must admit that the Leader was right. It's not just your talent, but also your strength, which is a testament to your hard work.”

  “Elder, does that mean...?”

  “It's one option. However, know that I don't like it.

  “You don't like it...?”

  “The Leader wanted me to do it. I agreed on the condition that you meet my requirements. Unfortunately, you did. If you want, you can accept me as your Master. But I don't recommend this option.”

  “Elder, what do you mean?”

  “Let's talk somewhere else,” he said, getting up from his chair.